


How could you know?

by JenJo



Series: 52 Short Stories in 52 Weeks [44]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: “So when you first met Barnes, did you know you had just met the love of your life?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Week 44: A story that takes place the year you were born.  
> So, hand wavey comic book logic applies here:  
> Clint was a new agent in 1993, but is only late 20s-early 30s in the modern day.

 

 

**From: BBear**

**[** You busy today? **]**

Kate twisted her lips in thought, trying to decide if she was busy today.

“Why are you making your thinking face?”

Kate looked up at America. “Am I busy today?”

“Depends who’s asking.”

“Barnes.”

“You’re good. What’s he want?”

“I’ll find out.”

**To: BBear**

**[** What you need? **]**

**From: BBear**

**[** Need Barton distracted for an afternoon. **]**

**To: BBear**

**[** Can do. **]**

**From: BBear**

**[** Thank you Hawkeye **]**

 

~

 

“Kate?” Clint frowned when Kate walked out of the elevator. “What are you doing here?”

Kate looped an arm through Clint’s, dragging him into the elevator. “We’re going for coffee.”

“Why are we leaving when there is perfectly good coffee in there?”

Kate patted Clint’s arm condescendingly. “You’ll see.”

 

~

 

“So when you first met Barnes, did you know you had just met the love of your life?”

Clint slowly lowered his coffee, staring at Kate. “Why on earth do you want to know? I thought we had a ‘i don’t ask about your love life, you don’t tell me about yours’ type arrangement.”

Kate rolled her eyes, taking a gulp of her coffee. “Come on, can’t a girl be curious?”

“But you’re _you_.”

“Barton, just answer the question.”

“Fine, I did not know,” Clint waited until Kate was taking a sip of her coffee to finish his answer. “Considering I met him over twenty years ago.”

As he suspected, Kate ended up spitting out her mouthful of coffee. She glared at Clint as she wiped up the mess with a napkin, before scrunching it up and throwing it at Clint.

“You did that on purpose.”

“Not denying it.”

“Didn’t you meet Barnes when he came to the Tower.”

“Well, yeah, if you’re referring to _Barnes_. But I met the Winter Soldier years ago.”

“You’re about to tell me a story, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am.”

 

~~~~~

 

The year was 1993, and Agent Barton was a freshly graduated Agent of SHIELD. He had been on exactly zero solo missions for the organisation.

So when Clint was assigned on a solo recon assignment, he was understandably confused.

When he had expressed this confusion, Director Carter had _smiled_ at him.

“It is perfectly acceptable to be confused, but you must always remember, for as long as you work for SHIELD, that every mission makes sense in the end.”

The words has only served to confuse him even further, but Clint had cast them to the back of his mind, focusing on the mission.

It was cold, the streets covered in a light layer of snow. Hardly the nicest weather for a recon assignment.

Clint had located a suitable vantage point from which to observe his target. Clint didn’t need the name, knowing the sight of the target..

The target was surrounded by six bodyguards at all times. Clearly the man had done _something_ to make him a wanted man. Again, Clint didn’t need to know the why.

He was here to determine any patterns or routines the target might have, in order for another agent to better infiltrate the target’s inner circle.

Six hours, and all Clint had been able to determine was that the target was _never_ alone.

Until now.

Clint looked closer; the target was in their room, alone. This was a change in routine, and something that SHIELD would be very interested in.

Though, perhaps, SHIELD would be more interested in the person who had just snuck into the target’s room. They moved like a shadow; the target had no idea that they were no longer alone. And seemingly between one blink and the next, the shadow was gone, and the target was dead.

 

~

 

“And the target was dead?”

Clint nodded. “I saw the body in the morgue. Untraceable bullet, according to our people.”

Director Carter nodded, looking at the report. “So it would seem. Well, your assignment changed and you handled it well. Well done Agent Barton.”

 

~~~~~

 

“That’s it?”

“You young people with no regard for storytelling,” Clint shook his head at Kate. “What’s wrong with that?”

“You,” Kate pointed at Clint with her croissant. “Said that you were going to tell me about the first time that you met Barnes.”

“And I did.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Katie-”

“I’ve told you not to call me that.”

“-who do you think was the shadow?”

“How’d you know it was him?”

“I may have told them in my report it was a shadow, but I saw the metal arm.” Clint shook his head at the memory. “I left it out, because I thought I was crazy, and they’d kick me out if I said I saw someone with a metal arm. I hadn’t heard the whispers of the Winter Soldier at that point.”

“And you count that as your first meeting? You didn’t even talk?”

Clint leant back in his chair, smirk on his face. “Who says we didn’t?” Clint looked at his phone, standing up. “Come on, it’s getting late.”

Kate sat staring at Clint, before shaking her head and running after him. “You can’t just stop your story there!”

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued...  
> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
